Bobby Conn - Macaroni

Sixth album from flamboyant glam-pop weirdo

(Fire Records)

Imagine if something really emotionally scarring happened to, say, Prince, something in his formative years that sent him down an altogether darker path. Now say hello to Bobby Conn, flamboyant glam-pop weirdo from Chicago with a pocketful of showbiz tricks, a DIY ethic and a confrontational hipster vibe.

This is album number six, and while it fails to reach the heights of his peak (2001’s The Golden Age), it’s still a fun ride, as Conn mashes up funk, soul and rock with a rather muddled protest-song lyricism about the woes of Western civilization. Sadly, there’s not enough memorable melody to match the chutzpah this time round, but the world’s still a better place for having Bobby Conn in it.